This leadership award is designed to improve research and teaching about aging at the University of Minnesota. Specifically, the award will be used to: 1. strengthen the training of graduate research in aging, especially long- term care by: * developing an annual roster of faculty across the university who are working on aging research * compiling a set of data tapes from national studies on aging * offering small grants to students to support their work on aging research projects * offering a seminar on research methods in aging 2. support the development of junior faculty in the Medical School, the School of Nursing, and the School of Public Health who want to develop research skills around clinical and health services aging issues by: * providing formal post-doctoral training for those interested in acquiring health services research or clinical epidemiological skills * providing a program of formal mentoring for those who are ready to launch their research careers 3. improve the graduate gerontology courses available on aging across the campus by stimulating the development of new courses and the coordinating existing ones 4. develop a multidisciplinary Long-term Care Research Institute. Areas of special emphasis will be around the interface of acute and long-term care (LTC), including discharge planning from both hospitals and nursing homes, the delivery of primary care to persons receiving LTC, improving decision- making for both professionals and consumers, and developing new forms of LTC that achieve the goals for such care originally envisioned before they were codified by regulation. 5. strengthen the teaching of clinical students in medicine and nursing about aging issues including promoting opportunities for joint clinical geriatrics experiences.